Washington, DC – Representatives from the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) again met with FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III today to discuss collaborative efforts to address hate crimes and enhance community outreach. The meeting was held as part of the Arab/Muslim/Sikh American Working Group and attended by SMART President Manjit Singh and National Director Preetmohan Singh. “Director Mueller has done a phenomenal job of bringing us together and recognizes that many in the Sikh American community continue to live in fear,” said Manjit Singh. “We have laid the foundation for consistent outreach from FBI field offices around the country. We look forward to continuing to train new and existing agents to effectively work with the Sikh American community to address hate crimes and build a better working relationship.” During the meeting, Director Mueller stated that it was as important today as September 12, 2001 to protect the Sikh, Arab, and Muslim communities against persons who want to do harm by committing hate crimes. The group also discussed FBI recruitment, no-fly lists, and other civil rights issues with representatives from other government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security. Since September 2001, SMART has also trained over 3,500 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials through awareness and protocol training about the Sikh faith and the Sikh American community. Furthermore, SMART has been working closely with the FBI’s national office and field offices to investigate hate crimes and conduct community outreach.
